Sonja Weaver and David Stafford hold their first child, Liam Christian Stafford, in their room at the Central Peninsula Hospital maternity ward Wednesday. Liam was the Peninsula's first baby of the New Year.

Liam Christian Stafford was born at the Central Peninsula Hospital Tuesday at 5:20 p.m.

And even though he was a few days late coming into 2011 he still earned the distinction of being the first baby born here in the New Year.

"We usually have a baby on the first or second so it's unusual we waited until the fourth," said Brenda Hartman, the hospital's OB coordinator.

Women's Way Midwifery in Soldotna had not had a New Year's birth as of Wednesday evening, Hartman said, so as far as she knows Liam was the first baby of the year on the Peninsula.

Liam's due date was supposed to be Jan. 9, said proud mom Sonja Weaver, 26, of Kenai. She said she had a feeling that he was going to come early.

"You just kind of have an instinct," Weaver said. "But I didn't know how early it was going to be."

Three babies were born on Dec. 31, said OB tech Debra Silva. But after the ball dropped a week ago Saturday it began a waiting game for the maternity ward and many of the area's expectant mothers.

"We were in competition with the girl next door," said new dad David Stafford, 29, branch manager of Denali Alaskan Federal Credit Union in Kenai. "They were both dilated the same."

"Me and her were neck and neck," Weaver added.

And after seven hours of labor that "went by quick," Liam came into the world -- an 8-pound, 3-ounce, 22-inch bundle of joy.

"They say he's big but he's small to me," she said. "My first little man."

Liam's birth opened a floodgate of sorts for the Central Peninsula Hospital.

"It was one right after the other," Hartman said. "We've had five in less than 24 hours."

Another baby was born Tuesday night and three more on Wednesday, she said. All boys.

"We have not had a New Year's girl yet," Hartman said Wednesday evening.

And for all those mothers who are still waiting to deliver (perhaps the first baby girl of the New Year), Weaver has some advice: Play Dance Dance Revolution.

"To try and get things going, I played Dance Dance Revolution and I walked around Fred Meyer and Walmart a lot since it was too cold outside," she said. "He came three days later."

Liam is Weaver and Stafford's first child. The two are engaged and planning to get married in October.

Brielle Schaeffer can be reached at brielle.schaeffer@peninsulaclarion.com.